The Forrest City times., 1887-12-10
CHApTER TIT. ,rIIa. -nlr Allle nmla-n

CHAfTER TIT,
 THE BLACK SPOT.
 About noon stopped at the eaptsln's door with some cooling drinks and iaedicipe~ Jie was king very much as We had left him. only little hgaer, and he seemed both weak and excited.
 Jim" ha said, you're tho only ono here that's worth anything; and you know I've been always good to you. Never a month but I've given you silver fourpenny for yourself. And now you see mute, I'm pretty low, and deserted by alt; and JiiB, y0nil bring mo ons noggm of run, now won't you mateyg'
 "The d0etor-p began.
 But he bruke in cufsing the doctor, in feeble voice, but heartily Doctors is all swahs," he said; and that doctor there. what to Ie know about seafaring mene hcyn in places as hot as plteh. and mates dropping Fonid with Yellow Jack, aad the blessed land a-heayng hke the sea eitlf earthquakes do the doctor know O lands Ike that?-aad liyea on rum. l teH you. It's been meat and drink and man snd wife, Co ne; and II I'm not 10 have my fam now l>a 9 negr 0l8 huIs on 9 ca shore. my o'VoU J DC or you, Jun, aui taAt a0stOI s"ao, sud he ran on eg3in for awhile yitl euosss. Look, Jun, how uly fingers adges. ae continued, In the pleading tone. 'I can't keep 'cm still, not l. haven't had drop ths1 blessed day. That doctors & fool ] tell you. II don have 8 eriiu e rum jsm, Fiji have the horrors; l seen some on 'cin alreadr. I seen o'd Eliat in the cornel there, behind yoa; aa plain as print, seet hm; and if l get the horrors, rm mar flat has lived rough and I'll raise Cain Your doctor hissei' i1 one glass voaIinG huft me. Ill give you golden guinea for noggin. Jim"
 Ho was growing more and more excited and this alsrmed mo for my father, who was very lew that day, and needed quiet; be Sides, I was reassured by the doctor's words now quoted to me, and rather offended b. the offer of hrlbe.
 "i want none of your m0ney.n said l, 'but what yon owa my father. I'll get you coe glass, and 10 more"
 When 1 brought lt to him, be seized il greedly, and drank if out
 "Ay, az" said he, "thats some better Brire enough. And now, matey, did thai doctor say how long was to lie here in this old beFih27
 "A week at least" said !.
 'Ihuader" he cried. "A week! 1 can'i do that; ttal q have the black spot on me by then. The ia3bars is roiag about to get 3he wind or rs 4ffs h..se moments: Inn. baTs as oonidn't keep what they got, anu want te nail what s aiuuier'4 Is fhat saa- manly behavior, HOW, want te know? Bui I'm saving s3nL l never wasted go0l money Of mine, nQs loet ii neither; and Fl trick 'eln again. Tn not afraid on lem u shake oas another reef, matey, and dad. de 'em again."
 As he was thus spsaklng he had risen from bed wi.h great difficulty. holdiug to my saanlder Nith a grip that almost made ms cry ont and moving his l.gs like SO much dead weight. lis words, spirited as they were in meaning, entrusted salty with the weakness Of the y0lfe in which they werr uttered lie ragsefl when he had got into siHing position on tle edge,
 That doator's dona me" hc murmtired. 'My eus Is sia .ing. Lay me back"
 Before coald do much to help him he had fallen bac6 asain to hls former place. where Ice lay ior Whilo silent
 Jim, be sail, at length, you saw tbas ieafarlg mar .o-eiayg
 "Biaek To ?' I asked
 ''Ah Black Dog" says he. "LIc's bad 'Im; but there's worse that put him oa Now, iEI can get away nohow, and they , sea-chess the, re after; you get a hoFse-you can, ean't you7 Well, then, you get on a .ioise, and go lowell, yes, l will!--to that eternal doctor swab and tell him to pipe al hsnds-mag gistrates and siell--and he'll lay lem aboard at the Admiral BenDOw--all old fints crew, man and boy, all on lem that's left. I was first mate, l was old FintS hrsl mate and I'm the on'y one as knows the place. He gaye it mo to Savannah, when hs lay dying, like as if was to now you see. But you won't peach unless they get the hlack spot on me or unless you sea that Black Dog again, or seafaring man with one leg, Jiln--him above all."
 "Bpt what is the black spot, captain% ! asked.
 That's a summons, mate. I'll tell you if they get that. But yon keep your weather eye o h.. Jim, and I'll share with you equals, upon my honor"
 He wandered little longer, his voice growing weaker; bus soon after had given him eis medicine, which he took like child with the remark, If ever a seaman wanted drugs, it's me" he fell at last into heavy. swoon-ike sleep, in which 1 left him. Nliai should have done had al gone well l do not know. Probably should have told the whole story to the doctor; for 1 was la nor tai fear lsst the captain should repent of his confessions and make an end of me But as things fell oss my po0F father died eults suddenly that evening, which pat all other matters on one side. Our naturl distress, the visits of the neigab1rs, the arranging Of the fuaersl aud all ti2 work uf tiiu inn to be carried pR ia the meanwhile, kept me so busy that mad scarcely tue t0 thiaS oi the captaln, far leas to be afraid of him.
 He got downstairs next morning, 10 bS pure and hal ais meals as usaal, though he ate iittie. sud had moro, ] aln afraid, than his usual supply of rum. for he helped him self out of tns bar, soaWling and blowing through his no9e, and no one dased to efeas him. On the night before the funeral he was as erunk as ever; and it was shocking in that teuSe of m9Ilrniag, 10 hear Ain sing ing away bic ugly old sea-ssags bnb weak as As vsA Es gers sll ia saa Iss1 C eSa0